Goa register an outright win with bonus point

PANAJI

Slow bowlers twins, Darshan Misal and Mohit Redkar spun Goa to an emphatic innings and 75 runs victory against Chandigarh in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B fixture at the Goa Cricket Association Academy in Porvorim on Saturday.

On the fourth and final day, the visitors, who were 159-3 overnight, 270 runs still behind, and battling to save the match, began the opening session with purpose and intent.

Chandigarh opener, Arjun Azad and middle-order batter, A K Kaushik took the fight to the opposition camp with a rollicking fourth-wicket stand of 153 runs in 220 balls. It required the guiles of seasoned Slow Left arm Orthodox, Darshan Misal to regain control for the home team over the proceedings. He first accounted for A K Kaushik for 82 (112b. 8x4, 3x6) taken by Kashyap Bakhale at first slip, and about half an hour later, the other set batter, Arjun Azad for 141 (216b, 16x4, 1x6) taken by Bakhale, again, at first slip.

Earlier, Azad had brought up a hundred on First Class debut off 144 deliveries with a two, placing the ball at third man off Redkar. In the first essay, he made 21.

The home side who went wicketless for the better part of the opening session, went to lunch closing in to a big win. The visitors lost four wickets for only 45 runs as they were reduced to 295-7 in 77.overs. Rajangad Bawa (18) and Jagjit Singh Sandhu for no score, were the other Chandigarh batters dismissed, as Right arm Offbreak, Mohit Redkar shared the spoils.

Post resumption, it took the home side a little under an hour and 14.4 overs to snap the remaining three Chandigarh wickets to notch a memorable win.

Goa's star spinner, Darshan Misal stole the show with a five-star effort, while Mohit Redkar provided able foil with a 3-fer.

With the outright win, Goa picked up seven points (6 match points + 1 bonus point). Lalit Yadav playing his maiden First Class match as a professional for Goa, was adjudged Player of the match for his allround brilliance (213, 3-17 and 1-36).

Goa will now travel for two away matches to play Karnataka on October 25 at Shimoga, before heading to New Chandigarh to take on Punjab on November 1.

BRIEF SCORES

>Goa, 1st innings. 566 in 160.4 overs (Lalit Yadav 213, Abhinav Tejrana 205; Vishu Kashyap 7-173) vs Chandigarh, 1st innings. 137 in 53.3 overs (Jagjit Singh Sindhu 31; Lalit Yadav 3-17, Darshan Misal 3-27), Chandigarh, 2nd innings F/O. 354 in 91.4 overs (Arjun Azad 141, A K Kaushik 82; Darshan Misal 5-124, Mohit Redkar 3-93)